Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

apple of the eye

/ˈæp.əl.əv.ðiˈaɪ/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.57 in modern English

Syllables
ap-ple of the -eye
IPA
/ˈæp.əl.əv.ðiˈaɪ/
26
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
3
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The pupil, or pupil and iris, of the eye, originally believed to be spherical; also, the eyeball.

Etymology

From Middle English appel of the eyȝe, appel of þe ye, perhaps dissimilated from Middle English ij appel (literally “eye-apple”). More at eye-apple.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈæp.əl.əv.ðiˈaɪ/

Inflected Forms

apples of the eye (plural)

Phrases

apple of someone's eye

Frequently Paired Words

apple of someone's eye

Synonyms

apple eye-apple

Rhymes With

by my why high on high try guy buy little guy why oh why july die

Questions

How do you pronounce apple of the eye?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈæp.əl.əv.ðiˈaɪ/.
What does apple of the eye mean?
The pupil, or pupil and iris, of the eye, originally believed to be spherical; also, the eyeball.
Where does apple of the eye come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce apple of the eye

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “apple of the eye”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈæp.əl.əv.ðiˈaɪ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “apple of the eye”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “apple of the eye” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.